1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for embolic treatment, and more particularly to an apparatus for embolic treatment using high frequency induction heating to embolize cerebral aneurysms by filling and fixing a metallic coil in cerebral vascular malformations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vascular malformations include aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations which may develop in any part of a body. Since aneurysms which develop in the aorta, and the vasculature of the abdominal and cerebral regions can be fatal, they must be operated on.
One conventional treatment for cerebral aneurysms includes searching for the problematic area in the cerebral arteries by photographing the cerebral vasculature of the patient, making an incision in the skull following total body anesthetizes, exposing the cerebral aneurysm, and then banding the neck of the aneurysm with a specialized clip. The surgical procedure for the cerebral incision and the banding of the neck of the aneurysm, has high risk and the procedure takes an unduly long time. Further, post-op recovery is lengthy and requires intensive follow-up medical care, and the patient may be subject to attacks of cerebral pain as an aftereffect.
In order to resolve the above-noted problems, non-invasive treatments have been proposed to replace such risky operations. FIG. 1. is a schematic illustration showing an operation method for embolizing a vascular malformation using a conventional apparatus for the embolic treatment. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional method for embolizing a cerebral aneurysm or vascular malformation (6) includes filling and fixing a metallic coil (3) into the malformation (6) using a fine catheter (1) while photographing the cerebral blood vessel in question without a head incision. Such non-invasive vascular operations have been applied not only to treatment of cerebral aneurysm and arterio-venous malformations, but also to treatment of vascular disease in other parts of the body.
However, follow-up inspection by photography of the vascular malformation treated with known conventional methods as described above, after a predetermined period such as 6 months, often reveals unstable embolic states in which blood flowing along the vessel is recirculated in the malformation embolized in its early stage. Consequently, coils are sometimes inserted into vascular malformations excessively in the initial operation to ensure long time maintenance of the complete embolic state, which may be fatal as the target malformation such as an aneurysm can rupture due to such excessive insertion of the coil.
Additionally, if the neck of an aneurysm is enlarged to a high degree, conventional embolic treatment may not work as coil-insertion cannot be adequately applied to the malformation. Further problems associated with conventional embolic treatment include the undesired migration of the coil from the inserted malformation to other parts of the cerebral vasculature.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel apparatus for embolic treatment using high frequency induction heating in order to completely embolize a vascular malformation.
To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an apparatus for use in an operating method for embolizing an aneurysm by filling the vascular malformation with a metallic coil, comprising, a high frequency power source, and at least one induction coil connected to a high frequency power source and positioned on the body of a patient in the vicinity of the diseased vasculature to generate an eddy current in a metallic coil inserted into the vascular malformation.